Nice Article About Incoming Freshmen

Submitted by dj89 on

The Detroit News has a nice bit about our incoming class and the impressions they are making.  The quotes from Lewis are the best!  I love seeing a leader on the team who is genuinely excited about feeling competition from the freshman.  Entitlement is the infection that kills champions and we have none of that here.

Who's got it better than us?

 

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wol…

 

 

 

UMCoconut

July 30th, 2016 at 10:27 PM ^

An All-American Senior who says things like, “They’re way better than me at that age – they might be better than me now,”

Humble and classy in addition to being a ridiculously good football player. I love that guy

 

EGD

July 30th, 2016 at 10:31 PM ^

I kind of feel like Lewis is goibg to be another guy like Dhani or Desmond--will have a good pro career, then remain a well-liked popular figure and representative for years afterward. Real class act. And not the only one on this team.

turd ferguson

July 30th, 2016 at 10:46 PM ^

I agree.  I was just thinking about how Lewis has reached that top group of favorites for me - with guys like Dhani Jones and Mike Hart - and this only solidifies that.  He's a great leader who's smart, funny, and humble; a great player who outperforms his physical stature; and he's done all kinds of other endearing things like recruiting remarkably well for a current player, coming back for his senior season, and publicly embracing Harbaugh, Brown, and all things Michigan.

Jake Butt is another guy who is jumping into that group for me for very similar reasons.

JayMo4

July 30th, 2016 at 10:42 PM ^

There's a difference between a blue chip talent and a blue chip talent with desire and work ethic.  I like to think we have a staff that can spot the difference, and early indications suggest they can.

Frank Chuck

July 30th, 2016 at 11:11 PM ^

I know people are worried about the youth/inexperience in 2017 but they'll see how talented the players are. The 2016 class has the luxury of learning as back-ups this year before some of them become full-time starters next year.

If we get a few of the players from the 2014 class back (like Peppers and Mone) for 2017, the drop-off won't be as significant as some expect. And we need some other players from the 2014 class (like Drake Harris and Maurce Ways) to step-up for 2017.

CorkyCole

July 30th, 2016 at 11:56 PM ^

The fact that basically our whole defensive backfield and offensive line is leaving is a bit scary to me. Mason Cole will probably have a chance to leave early if he wants, although I don't expect that to happen. Just remember that we don't have the "recruiting talent" of a team like Alabama or OSU on the roster as of yet. A lot more raw talent that needs to be developed, for which Harbaugh and staff obviously have the skills to do so.

I have no lack of faith in Harbaugh turning this program into a B1G championship contender year in and year out, but I still think that 2017 will have some growing pains with all the young guys that will have to play. I'm not saying that it won't be an excellent team, but I'm not going to go into that season expecting them to produce to the equivalent of a senior laden team with draft picks across the board like this year's team.

Then again, we haven't even played a snap of 2016 football so why am I writing so much about the 2017 roster. I will now stop.

RelevantBlue

July 31st, 2016 at 1:58 AM ^

Especially considering that our arch rivals have recruited (allegedly) better than us. I just wish that those dickheads didn't have an elite coach to go along with the insane amount of talent that they've somehow managed to grab.

JonnyHintz

July 31st, 2016 at 11:15 AM ^

Eh. I disagree. You're putting a lot of faith in some very young and inexperienced players to play at the caliber of 2-3 year starters and All-Americans.

We for sure lose 3 offensive linemen, with Mason Cole a decent possibility of leaving early. So you have to replace 3-4 OL. Who on this roster do you see being able to step up at that level? Bredeson and Onwenu maybe?

Then you look at losing Smith and Johnson. You return Isaac and Walker, but you still lose your top two backs. So there is reason to expect a drop off of some sort, although the depth we have currently will lessen that effect.

You lose your top two WRs who are both All Big Ten caliber and possibly All-American. There isn't a player on the roster, nor a recruit out there that will replace that talent and production in just one season.

Then there's our All-American TE, Jake Butt. Ian Bunting is the closest to a Jake Butt that we have. And even that isn't close. You'd be expecting a large leap from Wheatley or Bunting to replace that production.

Then there is the DLine. With as deep and talented as we are now, we lose much of it after this season. Players with remaining eligibility are also great candidates to leave early. Gary is the only sure fire player in the two deep that WILL return.

Linebackers are what they are.

In the secondary, you're looking at losing every single starter. You think as a Freshman/Sophomore, somebody is going to replace Jourdan Lewis' ability? Maybe they can play at a Stribling/Clark level, but it's not realistic to replace All-American production. Then, who is going to play safety? Kinnel, and then who plays opposite him? You expect them to play at a Delano Hill/Dymonte Thomas level?

Let's just be realistic here. 2016 is our year. 2017 will be a year with plenty of growing pains as Harbaugh continues to shape and balance the roster to his liking. It will still be a good year with 8-9 wins IMO, but we aren't at the point in the Harbaugh tenure where we can simply reload on a year to year basis. It REALLY takes a few years of consistent recruiting to be able to do what Alabama and Ohio State do as far as replacing NFL talent with solid players.

So for you to even suggest, let alone predict, that 2017 will be just like 2016 is not realistic by any stretch. At least this far out. You're expecting monumental production and playing ability from players who haven't even started their very first fall camps.

LKLIII

July 31st, 2016 at 3:33 PM ^

I agree with this.

Don't get me wrong--we are light years better than we have been in the last decade or so. But I still think we are at the level of a normal/good year is 10-2 or possibly better if we get lucky and a rebuilding year is 8-4 or 9-3 plus hopefully a good bowl win. Meanwhile, OSU and Alabama are a notch higher where their 10-2 year is a rebuilding/reloading year and their typical years are 12-0 or 11-1 with a NC if they catch a few breaks. 

That's not to say we couldn't beat them on any given Saturday of course, but the overall roster and talent trend just isn't quite there for us to just produce annual NC contenders no matter who we lose on the roster.  Another 4-6 years of roster management & recruiting by Harbaugh could fix that.

This also brings me back to a corollary question I had the other week.  My first question that got to the Mail Bag from Ace was about roster balance in terms of position groups---"surging" certain positions like QB or TE or OL to guarantee solid performance, even though it may create a bit of an imbalance in the short term.  

My corollary question relates to roster balance in terms of seniority.  Do all teams necessarily *want* balance between the classes, so they have roughly even experience year in & year out?  The up side here is you are never in a really low point or a true "rebuilding year."   Or do teams ever strategically bunch up their recruiting classes so they get get a "high tide/low tide" cycle?  The theory being--sure we would have to suffer through the occasional rebuilding year when our rostes are extremely young, but there will be a golden 2 year window where our team is totally stocked full with experienced starters-thus giving us a better shot at a NC run.



Anyway, I have faith that Harbaugh is our guy.  Until prove otherwise I'm going to assume that 2017 will represent a small step back for the team, if only because we lose so much talent next year to graduation & the NFL.








Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad

Hail Harbo

July 30th, 2016 at 11:35 PM ^

So no 30 pound overweight surprises?

Getting back to players being honored to play for Michigan rather Michigan being honored that a player chose Michigan.

Good times

These are the good times

Leave your cares behind

These are the good times

Good times

These are the good times

Our new state of mind

These are the good times

Sopwith

July 31st, 2016 at 2:07 AM ^

Anytime you meet a payment. Good times.

Anytime you meet a friend. Good times.

Anytime you're out from under.

Not gettin' hassled. Not gettin' hustled.

Keepin' your head above water

Making your wave when you can

Temporary layoffs. Good times.

Easy credit ripoffs. Good times.

Scratchin' and surviving. Good times.

Hanging in a chow line. Good times.

Ain't we lucky we got 'em. Good timesssssssssss

RelevantBlue

July 31st, 2016 at 2:02 AM ^

Ill feel more at ease. Read a story somewhere earlier that suggested harbaugh is getting freaked out by the fact that none of his QB's have stepped up to take the starting spot. Same article also suggested that UM wants O'Korn to win the job, he just hasn't got it done yet. Hopefully it will be ok because #harbaugh

RainbowSprings

July 31st, 2016 at 4:04 AM ^

from this frosh class. We need more real playmakers backing up Darboh, Chesson, and Perry IMO. At TE, we seem to have a glut of talent available. Not so much at WR and Slot. And, WR looks pretty scary for next year with the departues of Darboh and Chesson, and no new commits (at least so far) on the 2017 recruiting trail.

EGD

July 31st, 2016 at 1:49 PM ^

What is your opinion on Drake Harris? I was encouraged that he made it through last season without another hamstring injury, even though he's still really skinny and didn't catch many passes. Do you think he'll start to approach his potential over the next couple seasons, or do you think he's more likely to be a permanent role-player and get passed up by the new recruits?

LSAClassOf2000

July 31st, 2016 at 7:01 AM ^

“They want to play. They want to get out there on Saturdays. They don’t want to just watch us. They don’t want to learn from the bench, they want to be out there experiencing. That’s something I haven’t seen in a long time in a recruiting class, guys coming in there trying to get early starting time. It’s just really refreshing.”

It is rather refreshing, and these seem like players ready-made for Harbaugh's approach, which as we know involves constant competition and the players being driven to improve. I know we speculate about how many of the freshmen will see playing time this year a few times a day almost - I suspect we might be pleasantly surprised by the ones that do find the field this season. 

VauntedD

July 31st, 2016 at 7:52 AM ^

That is the positive I needed to hear before the official start to camp. Sounds like the competition level is getting to wear it needs to be. Jourdan Lewis is a class act. I hope he has the best senior year. David Long and Lavert Hill will certainly learn from the best. If what he says is true the skill positions look better than they have been in years. I am ready for some McDoom. The lack of speed and athleticism has severely hurt against our greatest competitors. Whoever wins the quarterback position is in a great spot to succeed. The tight end position have added depth and athleticism.